[ExI] Religions are not the ultimate cause of war

[Mirco Romanato]

Il 13/09/2012 01:11, Keith Henson ha scritto:
> On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 1:37 PM,  John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com>
> wrote:

>>> If the driving force behind terrorism is poor economic prospects

>> I don't believe it is. Saudi Arabia is not a poor country and yet
>> almost all the 911 hijackers came from there, and all were middle
>> class.

> Before 9/11, the was a 75% drop in the per capita income for Saudi
> Arabia.  It was due to a rise in the population of factor of two and
> a fall in the price of oil by half.  That seem to be enough to trip
> the population wide "bleak future" detector.  And in the stone age,
> the relatively well off warriors were infected by the same "kill the
> neighbors" memetic mechanism as the rest of the tribe.

In fact, this "bleak future detector" activated the reduction of
birthrate and fertility rate in Saudi Arabia.

Country		2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	
Saudi Arabia	37.47	37.34	37.25	37.2	29.74	29.56	29.34	

2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
29.1	28.85	28.55	19.43	19.34	19.19

The "relatively well off warrior" were trying to conquer their neighbors 
from the Middle Age. They have nothing better to do and an ideology to 
do so.

I would suggest the oil wealth supported the demographic explosion AND 
an expansionist policy. Rome didn't conquer an empire because of a bleak 
future vision.


>> From: Anders Sandberg <anders at aleph.se>

>> Plentiful energy and food might lower some pressures, but actually
>> worsen others. I shudder at the thought of the Arabian states if
>> oil revenues come crashing down.

> It's going to happen sooner or later.  For example, at some point
> the internal use of oil will exceed what they can pump.

Just look at Egypt for an example of what will happen when there is no 
more money to import food for the people living there.

Mirco